Running Head: ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Ross Elementary School Nonfiction Collection Analysis Holly Patton and Lindsay Kufahl LI 855 Collection Management Emporia State University

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Introduction Due to the unpredictability of school funding all school libraries in USD 501 have been asked to plan for a 15% budget cut. Decisions about what to cut and what to keep were made with the following selection policy in mind. OBJECTIVES OF SELECTION: Instructional resources enrich and support the educational program and serve as valuable tools for achieving continuing objectives. Instructional resources provided must include a wide range of topics on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and presenting different points of view. To this end, the Topeka Public Schools must:

1. Provide resources that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the pupils served. 2. Provide resources that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards. 3. Provide a background of information which will enable pupils to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives. 4. Provide resources on various sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysis of all media. 5. Provide resources representative of many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contributions to our national heritage and the world community. 6. Place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of resources of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection of materials and resources (Topeka Public Schools, 1996).

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL In a school library media center, the collection is in direct support of the curriculum. With the recent implementation of the College and Career Readiness Standards (also known as Common Core), the focus has shifted to nonfiction reading in the subject areas. For this reason, the scope of this analysis will be confined to the nonfiction section of the collection and how it supports the science and social studies curriculum. Community Analysis A community analysis was completed to help determine what kinds of resources were appropriate for the library. Overall, the city reflects a variety of incomes, family dynamics, backgrounds, and languages. Due to the number of school districts in the Topeka area and the number of schools in USD 501, a more concentrated look at the clientele of Ross Elementary School was also taken into consideration. City of Topeka Topeka was first established where the Oregon Trail crosses the Kansas River. Three

Canadian brothers settled in the area, married three local Kanza Indian women, and established a ferry service (Topeka.org, 2012). Several other businesses followed suit, and in 1854 nine men drafted a document which would lead to the creation of the Topeka Association. Kansas was admitted to the union as a free state in 1861 with Topeka as its capital. Lincoln College, which is now known as Washburn University, opened its doors in 1865. Railroads were another key factor in the development of Topeka. A variety of railway companies called Topeka home. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) still houses a large part of its business in Topeka today. In 1954, Topeka made history on a national level as the Brown v. Board of Education Topeka decision desegregated schools. The former Monroe Elementary site is currently a museum dedicated to the struggle for equality in education. In 1974, approximately 10,000 people left

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Topeka due to the closing of Forbes Air Force base. Gradually, Topeka has recovered from this population drop. In the 1990s Resers Fine Foods opened. BNSF and Hills Pet Nutrition had

major expansions (City of Topeka, 2011). Currently the five largest employers in Topeka are the State of Kansas, Stormont Vail Health Care, Topeka USD #501, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, and St. Francis Health Care (City of Topeka, 2009). City population Topeka is the fourth largest city in the state of Kansas (Brinkhoff, 2011). According to the 2010 Census, Topeka has a population of 127,473. Demographics 76% Caucasian 13% Hispanic or Latino 11% African American 5.5% foreign born 10% speak a language other than English at home 88% earned a high school diploma or higher 28% hold a bachelors degree or higher Average household income is $40,362 19% of the population lives below the poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013) 57% of the households have children under the age of 18. o 48% of these families are headed by a single parent (City of Topeka, 2013). District Budget The USD 501 school budget for the 2012-2013 school year was down $12 million from the 2011-2012 school year. During the 2011-2012 school year, the district funded $18.2 million

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL worth of construction projects without a bond issue. The mill level stayed at 56.307 during both school years (Lanum, 2012).

A reorganization of the district also took place over the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years. This included combining some schools and closing others. These changes were made in part because of the positive effect they would have on the budget (Topeka Public Schools, 2012). Table 1: Summary of Total Expenditures By Function (All Funds) 2012-2013 Budget Instruction Student & Instructional Support General Administration School Administration (Building) Operations & Maintenance Capital Improvements Debt Services Other Costs Total Expenditures Amount per Pupil (Topeka Public Schools, 2013) 107,893,765 18,987,076 2,361,894 8,913,820 11,730,720 8,095,084 6,903,658 25,654,890 190,540,905 13,191 % of Total 57% 10% 1% 5% 6% 4% 4% 13% 100%

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL School Board The school board consists of seven members. Each position is elected for a four year term. Two members are elected from each of the three geographic districts, and one position is at-large (Topeka Public Schools, 2013). History Ross Elementary opened as Highland Park South Elementary in 1955. In 1993, it was

renamed Ross Elementary in honor of Merrill and Barbara Ross. Merrill Ross was the first black principal of a previously all white school. Barbara Ross worked for the school district for 24 years. Mrs. Ross served as a kindergarten teacher at Highland Park South for 18 years. Ross Elementary underwent construction in 1958, 1968, 1970, 2002, and 2012. The 1970 project included the addition of one of the largest school libraries at that time (Topeka Public Schools, 2012). The most recent development project for the building was completed in 2012 in which a new library, additional classrooms, a second computer lab, a new gymnasium, and administrative offices were added to the existing structure (Llopis-Jepsen, 2012). This major addition was a direct result of the districts decision to close two smaller elementary schools in close proximity to Ross and transfer all students to the new, larger facility (Bush, 2012). The number of students in attendance in the 2009-2010 school year was 328 (Kansas State Department of Education, 2010). The number of students in attendance in the 2011-2012 school year was 369 (KSDE, 2012). The current population is 576 students in grades pre-kindergarten (3s) to 5th grade.

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Student Demographics Table 3: Ross Elementary School Economically Disadvantaged 2011-2012 School Year Percent Economically Disadvantaged Non-Economically Disadvantaged (Kansas State Department of Education, 2012) 89.70 10.30 Actual Number 331 38

Table 4: Ross Elementary School Enrollment by Ethnicity 2012-2013 School Year Total African-American Hispanic White Other (Ross Powerschool Information System, 2013) 576 41.5% 13.5% 41.1% 3.6%

Table 5: Ross Elementary School English Language Learners 2011-2012 School Year Percent (Kansas State Department of Education, 2012) 18.43%

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Staff Table 6: Ross Elementary School Building Teacher Quality 2011-2012 School Year Fully Licensed Provisional (KSDE, 2012) 96.97% 3.03%

Patron Needs In order to ascertain patron needs, a curriculum analysis was completed. Science and social studies themes were deemed to be the most critical areas. In addition to curriculum support, the library is also used to teach information literacy and research skills. Students will use library resources to create digital projects and research papers. Often students choose their own topics and then teachers ask library staff to pull resources that fit these topics. Older students may also use the online library catalog to locate materials on their own. Students often use WorldBook Online, but seldom use the other more difficult databases. Another key function of the library is to provide students with materials for pleasure reading. The last librarian to be in residence for longer than one school year did not value current popular childrens literature; she preferred quality classics. Consequently, a great deal of the budget in recent years has been spent bringing the fiction collection up-to-date. Ross Elementary School Library Staff The Ross library has one full-time librarian and one half-time library clerk. The 20122013 school year is the librarians first year at the school. She is currently finishing her library science degree. The clerk started work at the library in late January after the previous clerk left

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL the position suddenly in early September. Therefore the librarian was the sole staff member for nearly 5 months. There has been a different librarian in this position for each of the last four years. Facilities

As mentioned above, the Ross library is a brand new structure in excellent condition. The main area of the library consists of many sections: nonfiction, reference, easy fiction (picture books), fiction, preschool story time, and two instructional areas. There are 18 student computers, as well as a circulation desk computer and a computer for use with the Promethean Board for class instruction. The librarian and clerk each have an office with their own personal computers. The library also houses five iPad carts (30 iPads each) and three laptop carts (30 laptops each). Two storage areas contain miscellaneous audio visual equipment and library supplies. Collection Analysis Follett Titlewave was the primary tool used to analyze the collection. There was also a physical inspection of the collection to discern the condition of materials. Strengths and Weaknesses The collection has a more weaknesses than strengths. The entire collection consists of 10,014 items with an average age of 1994. The number of total items is a slight strength at 17.38 items per student. Due to the consolidation of schools, Ross received duplicate copies of several titles. This is also a strength because many classes and/or students can choose the same topic and have materials available to them. The nonfiction section accounts for 32.17% of the total collection. Reference and biographies account for another 7.37% for a total of 39.54%. This is far below the 60%

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL recommended by the Common Core standards. The average age of the 3,176 items in the

10

nonfiction section is 1992. This should be updated with more recent materials. Follett identified the following areas as aged. 003-007 Systems Data/ Computer Programs 320-329 Political Science 361-369 Social Problems and Services 370-379 Education 380-389 Commerce, Communication, and Transportation 520-529 Astronomy and Allied Sciences 610-619 Medical Sciences/ Medicine 910-919 Geography, Maps, and Atlases

Since many of our curricular needs fall within these categories, this is a definite weakness. The physical inspection revealed numerous items in poor condition due to age and overuse. These items will need to be replaced or weeded. Science and Social Studies Curriculum Needs Based on our curriculum analysis, the following categories encompass most areas of emphasis: Science States of matter (solid, liquid, gas) Geology (fossils, rocks, minerals, natural resources) Plants and animals (life cycles, habitats, living and nonliving things) Weather Astronomy

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Anatomy (body systems, cells, skeleton, muscles, senses)

11

Social Studies Kansas States and geography Native Americans Culture and heritage and families Careers Community helpers Government Colonial America American Revolution Biographies The average age of the biography section is 1994. With 442 items, this section is just 2.5% under the Follett recommendation. The general encyclopedia section is from 1998; this warrants updating even though patrons have access to Worldbook online. Astronomy and Allied Sciences only has 55 titles with an average age of 1989. One area of overprovision is poetry. With 261 titles, it is nearly 3% over Folletts recommendation. This section may need weeding in order to keep the collection current. Plants and animals are other sections that are underrepresented and aging. Lexile Levels With the wide range of ages and reading levels in an elementary school, it is imperative to have books with a varied level of difficulty. Ross does not currently have a Lexile system in place. During the physical inspection of the collection, many of the books were deemed far too

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL difficult for the students reading levels. In the future , librarians should pay close attention to

12

Lexile levels and match these to the average Lexile levels of students. Materials may be on topic and of interest to students, but if the text cannot be read, it is not a useful item to have in the collection. Subscription Databases Ross students have access to numerous and varied databases through the State Library of Kansas provided by funds from the state legislature. The databases cover a wide range of topics and reading levels; some examples include: World Book Online (three levels) Ebscohost Learning Express Mango Student Resource Center Gold

Resource Sharing Topeka Public School libraries share resources through interlibrary loan in the Follett Destiny system. The district also maintains a large collection in the media services office. Special request may also be made through the Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library and the State Library of Kansas. Action Plan Our action plan has five components which will enable the library to bring it aging and insufficient collection up to date and in closer alignment with the new College and Career Readiness Standards. The budget for Ross Elementary School s library for the 2012-2013 year was figured at $6.30 per student. With 576 students, that equals $ 3628.80. Taking into

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL consideration a 15% budget cut and no change in the number of students, the budget for 20132014 would be $3084.48. Limit the amount spent on fiction materials Currently, the fiction and easy books comprise 53.67% of the total collection. This far exceeds the 38% recommended by Follett and 40% recommended by the Common Core Standards. This will free up a considerable amount to replace or increase the nonfiction areas that support curriculum. Further, it is recommended that popular fiction be purchased through profits received from Scholastic book fairs held twice each year. Rely more heavily on interlibrary loan As mentioned above, USD 501 has an extensive system of school libraries with an interlibrary loan system available through Follett Destiny. The librarian should be proactive in working with teachers on compiling a list of needed resources well in advance of projects in

13

order to secure the needed materials from other sites if necessary. If an item is only used for one project per year, and that item can be borrowed from another library, the librarian could elect to not purchase that item. Work with outside agencies for fundraising and donations The Topeka Rotary Club has a partnership with Ross Elementary in which the club donates one book per week to the library. These books are generally purchased during the Scholastic book fairs held twice per year. These purchases also benefit the library with credits for additional books. If librarians could find additional partners or sources of funding, such as grants, then the allotted budget would go further to update or replace curricular resources. The Topeka Educational Foundation provide and award grants each year for proposals that benefit students in USD 501.

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Conduct a Teacher Survey to determine areas of greatest need A comprehensive teacher survey should be administered at the end of the school year.

14

The survey should ask teachers to think back over the year and share what topics they felt needed more library resources, which areas were adequate, and suggestions for purchases. Experienced teachers may also have extensive classroom libraries to support their grade level curriculum; therefore they would not need to utilize library materials. This can allow the librarian to dedicate more of the budget to critical shortage areas. Consider Lexile levels on all new purchases Lexile levels allow teachers and librarians to know if materials are on a students reading level. By not utilizing this feature, the librarian may be purchasing items that are not useful or supportive of the curriculum. Follett Titlewave and other online tools allow anyone to search for Lexile levels of nearly all published materials. This will assure that budget dollars are going to useful and relevant materials. Conclusion Ross Elementary has a brand new library with an above average number of items available for recreational reading and curriculum support. With the implementation of a few slight changes, the librarian can utilize some community and charitable resources to expand and update the collection in a few key areas. In time, the collection will become a true curriculum resource.

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Works Cited Brinkhoff, T. (2011, March 05). City population. Retrieved from http://www.citypopulation.de/USA-Kansas.html

15

Bush, A. M. (2012, February 16). usd 501 votes to close avondale east school. The TopekaCapital-Journal. Retrieved from http://cjonline.com/news/2012-02-16/usd-501-votesclose-avondale-east-school

City of Topeka. (2013, January 08). City of Topeka - planning. Retrieved from http://www.topeka.org/planning/19802010.shtml

City of Topeka. (2011, October 26). City of Topeka - history and landmarks. Retrieved from http://www.topeka.org/planning/landmarks_comm.shtml

City of Topeka. (2009, November 30). City of Topeka - economic development. Retrieved from http://www.topeka.org/economicdevelopment/labor_force.shtml

Kansas State Department of Education. (2012). Building Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://online.ksde.org/rcard/bldg_tchrs.aspx?org_no=D0501&bldg_no=8465

Kansas State Department of Education. (2012). Demographics. Retrieved from http://online.ksde.org/rcard/building.aspx?org_no=D0501&bldg_no=8465

Kansas State Department of Education. (2012). English Language Learners. Retrieved from http://online.ksde.org/rcard/building.aspx?org_no=D0501&bldg_no=8465&enroll_type= 5

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Kansas State Department of Education. (2010). Report card 2009-2010. Retrieved from http://online.ksde.org/rcard/summary/fy2010/D05018465.pdf

16

Lanum, A. (2012, July 20). U.S.D. 501 decreases budget without increasing mill levy. WIBW.com. Retrieved from http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/USD_501_Decreases_Budget_Without_Increasin g_Mill_Levy_163146986.html

Llopis-Jepsen, C. (2012, November 5). Usd 501 celebrates expansion of ross elementary. The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved from http://cjonline.com/news/2012-11-15/usd-501celebrates-expansion-ross-elementary

Topeka.org. (2012). History and landmarks of Topeka. Retrieved from http://www.topeka.org/planning/landmarks_comm.shtml

Topeka Public Schools. (2013). 2012-13 budget at a glance. Retrieved from http://documents.topekapublicschools.net/adminAndSupportServices/budget/20122013/tps_budget_1213_ataglance.pdf

Topeka Public Schools. (2013). Board of education. Retrieved from https://www.topekapublicschools.net/board-of-education/

Topeka Public Schools. (2012, August 22). 2012-2013 profile information. Retrieved from http://documents.topekapublicschools.net/adminAndSupportServices/budget/20122013/tps_budget_1213_profile.pdf

ROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Topeka Public Schools. (2012). Ross elementary history. Retrieved from http://ross.topekapublicschools.net/history.html

17

Topeka Public Schools. (1996). Selection of instructional materials/resources: Regulation # 6050-1. Retrieved from http://documents.topekapublicschools.net/board/regulations/6050-01.pdf U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, January 10). QuickFacts from the United States census bureau. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/20/2071000.html